Scripture: Acts 27-Acts 28:10, Matthew 25:35
Learning Objectives:
- Students will learn the story of Paul’s shipwreck.
- Students will learn that sometimes missionaries can run into problems that can be discouraging.
- Students will learn to rely on prayer during times of difficulty.
- Students will learn why Jesus fed people and why it is important to care for the hungry while sharing God with them.
Guiding Question: How can we share God’s love to the hungry?
Materials: Paper grocery bags, markers, food item lists, staplers, computer for “click to feed” websites, food items for food bags (will vary depending on where food is donated)
Procedure: Discuss with the students the story of Jesus feeding the 4000 and the scripture Matthew 25:35. Discuss why it might be important to God that we help feed the hungry. Share hunger statistics. Have the students discuss how feeding the hungry may show them God’s love and make them more interested in listening to God’s Word.
Discuss with the students various ways the can help those who are hungry. Have the children make food pantry collection bags and show them how to go online and donate food in just a few clicks on freerice.com and thehungersite.com. Let the students decorate bags to collect food items to donate to church food pantry. If the church does not have a food pantry, find an organization the church is involved with that the food bags can be donated with. Have students attach a list with the food donated on the outside of each bag.
Additional Questions:
- How can students participate in serving the hungry by going outside of the church?
Supplemental Activity: Reach out to local soup kitchens in the community and see if you and a group of students could volunteer. Let interested students join you to volunteer and share God’s love at the soup kitchen.